PETAN emerges as critical backbone of Nigeria’s Oil, Gas Industry — Faluyi

Nigeria’s oil and gas industry may be defined by production volumes, high-value investments, and policy direction, but a quieter, less visible force is increasingly being recognised as central to its survival and growth — indigenous service providers under the umbrella of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).

In a strong industry intervention, PETAN’s Publicity Secretary, Dr. Joan Faluyi, argues that the future of Nigeria’s energy sector depends not just on resource extraction, but on the strength and depth of local technical capacity driving execution across the value chain.

Describing PETAN as the “quiet engine” of the industry, Faluyi said indigenous service companies have moved beyond peripheral roles to become central actors in engineering, fabrication, offshore operations, and safety systems — areas critical to sustaining production and ensuring operational efficiency.

According to her, oil and gas operations are not sustained by reserves alone but by competence, stressing that before production begins, a complex ecosystem of planning, design, construction, and technical support must already be in place.

“Local participation is no longer a matter of visibility in contracts; it is now embedded in execution,” she noted, pointing to the growing role of Nigerian firms in delivering real-time technical services across both upstream and downstream operations.

Faluyi highlighted that PETAN’s membership spans key segments including engineering design, marine services, well intervention, and health, safety and environment (HSE) training — an indication of how indigenous companies are increasingly shaping not just output, but also safety and sustainability standards within the sector.

She emphasised that safety remains one of the most underappreciated yet critical contributions of local service providers, noting that systems such as fire and gas detection, emergency response, and technical training form the backbone of operational continuity.

Her position comes amid renewed focus on local content development, following data from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board showing Nigeria’s local content performance rose to 56 per cent in 2024, with a target of 70 per cent by 2027.

While describing the figures as encouraging, Faluyi cautioned that percentages alone do not define real progress. Instead, she stressed the need to deepen indigenous expertise in engineering, innovation, maintenance, and problem-solving — areas that determine whether value is truly retained within the country.

Industry analysts say this shift in narrative signals a broader transition in Nigeria’s energy ambitions — from being primarily a resource-rich nation to becoming a capability-driven industrial hub.

Faluyi maintained that PETAN’s role goes beyond advocacy or industry gatherings, positioning the association as a structured platform through which Nigerian technical capacity is organised and amplified.

“The industry is only as strong as the ecosystem that supports it,” she said, adding that while operators own assets and investors provide capital, service companies remain the link between policy and performance.

As Nigeria continues to pursue energy security and economic diversification, stakeholders say the recognition of indigenous service providers may prove decisive in determining how much long-term value the country retains from its oil and gas resources.